Island



(No Model.)

G. W. PRENTIGE.

BUTTON FASTENER.

No. 506,862. Patented Oct. 17,1893.

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NITED STATES PATENT CFFICE.

GEORGE W. PRENTICE, OF PROVIDENCE, RHODE ISLAND.

BUTTON-FASTEN ER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 506,862, dated October 17, 1893.

Application filed March 9, 1891. Serial No. 384,291.- (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE W. PRENTICE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Providence, in the county of Providence and State of Rhode Island, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Two-Prong Button-Fasteners; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to letters of reference marked thereon, which forma part of this specification.

In the production of two-prong button-fasteners or staples it has been the usual practice heretofore to provide them each with a head or arch having a single loop adapted to receive eye-shank buttons.

It is sometimes found to be necessary or desirable to change the position or relation of buttons attached to shoes or other articles of wearing apparel. Practically such change can be effected only by first withdrawing the fastener from the shoe and then inserting another, combined with a button, at the place selected. An objection to the use of such former staple fasteners is that they are nonadjustable, that is they cannot as a rule be reused after having been forcibly withdrawn from the shoe or material. Consequently they are wasted. Another objection is that considerable time is required to effect such change or readjustment of the buttons.

The object I have had in view in the fastener forming the subject of my present invention is to produce what may be termed an adjustable two-prong fastener, that is a fastener having its head or arch portion provided with two or more loops so arranged that when in use upon the application of sufficient pressure the connected button may be readily changed from loop to loop as desired without removing or disturbing the fastener; thus by means of my improvement I not only save the fastener, but the change in the position of the button is effected very quickly and easily.

In the drawings herewith, Figures 1, 2, and

5c 3 represent side elevations (enlarged) of my improved two-prong fastener, showing modi fied forms of the arch or head, and Fig. 4 shows the fastener, as in use.

My improved fastener is indicated by a, the same having two downwardly extending puncturing prongs 19 adapted to be inserted into leather or other suitable material, f, as common. The upper or head portion b uniting the prongs of the fastener is bent so as to form two or more loops.

The novelty of my improved fastener or staple resides in providing the said head or arch portion 1) with laterally separated loops or bends 0 arranged and adapted to receive eye-shank buttons, each side loop forming a continuation of the adjacent prong. The loops or bends are well rounded and form what may be termed reverse curves, one curve intersecting an oppositely formed curve without intervening right lines.

In Fig. 4 is represented the eye e of a button d mounted in one of the loops 0 of my improved fastener, the latter being secured to leather f or other material. Now, in order to change the position of the button, the latter is simply forced laterally or sidewise, say to the left, as indicated by dotted lines in Fig. 4, the button eye passing between the leather and contiguous portion of the arch b which yield slightly for the purpose. The arch being integral with the prongs it may be bent to any suitable form; Figs. 1 to 3, inclusive, represent various shapes; Fig. 3 shows a staple provided with three loops 0.

My improved adjustable button-fastener staple I prefer to make from wire having a round or half-round form cross-sectionally, although other forms may be employed. It will be seen that in my improved fastener the outer or side loops form a direct continuation of the prongs p. This arrangement notonly permits the loops to extend above the general surface of the fabric and that of the arch itself, but it enables me to make the fasteners correspondingly narrower in a lateral direction, as clearly shown.

While I do not broadly claim as my invention an adjustable button fastener, per se, yet

I do claim and desire to secure by United States Letters Patent- 1. The improved two-prong adjustable button-fastening staple substantially as hereinbefore described, provided with two'or more loops for the button eye the same consisting 5 of a depressed substantially semi-circular head or table portion provided at each extreme end with a substantially semi-circular loop adapted to receive the eye-shank of a button and two downwardly extending at- 10 taching prongs or legs, each being a continuation of and forming one side of the contiguous loop, as set forth.

2. The integrally formed adjustable button holding staple, the same consisting of two I 5 suitably shaped puncturing prongs and a GEORGE W. PRENTICE.

Witnesses:

CHARLES HANNIGAN, F. A. SMITH, Jr. 

